Based on data from BSA and The Software Alliance, here are the best states for software careers

Software has an enormous impact on our individual lives, but the impact on the economy, GDP, and employment is even greater than expected, according to a 2016 study from BSA and the Software Alliance, an international alliance that advocates on behalf of the software industry. The Economic Impact of Software research study shows that as of 2014 the software industry was responsible for a total of $1.07 trillion of U.S. value-added GDP and directly drove $475.3 billion of that amount. The software industry directly employed 2.5 million people in the United States. But when including indirect and induced impacts, that number rose to 9.8 million jobs, according to the research.

BSA worked with The Economist Intelligence Unit to compile the data, using publicly available data from the EIU itself, IMPLAN, the National Science Foundation, the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, and the U.S. Census Bureau. To estimate the total contributions of the software industry to the U.S. economy, the EIU analyzed the direct contributions and estimated indirect and induced impacts using various economic multipliers.

"What's so interesting is how widespread the impact is. We expected states like California and Washington, but even states like Nebraska, Alabama, and Utah showed a significant impact on their economies from software. And so much is happening in the industry: Cloud, artificial intelligence, big data, predictive analytics, virtual reality, enterprise, 3D printing -- there are so many innovations happening, and they're happening in every state," says Victoria Espinel, president and CEO of BSA - The Software Alliance.

While every state is directly affected by the software industry, here are the top 10 states where software's having the greatest impact based on direct contribution to GDP, direct number of software jobs created, and total number of software, software-related, and software-adjacent jobs created.

The heart of the software industry lies in Silicon Valley and the San Francisco Bay Area, so it's no surprise that California tops the list. The Bureau of Labor Statistics also shows that in California the average software salary was $206,000.

One of the fastest-growing tech hubs in the United States is in Austin, Texas, also known as the Live Music Capital of the World. A business-friendly tax policy and low cost of living allows the software industry to thrive here.

Virginia's proximity to the U.S. capital in Washington, D.C., makes it a bedroom community for government employees. But cities like Richmond, Fairfax, McLean, and Newport News all have thriving tech communities as well.

Boston has emerged as a major player in the software industry, and the proximity to Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston College, Boston University, and other research-centric schools ensure an elite and innovative talent pool for software companies.

The Garden State's proximity to both the New York City and Philadelphia metro areas puts it in a unique position. New Jersey's also home to many legal firms and pharmaceutical companies, all of which need talented software professionals.